One of the most intriguing prospects in the 2020 class is Gervon Dexter and it’s been that way for months as the argument continues about whether he’s a five-star prospect or not.
There is no question the Florida signee from Lake Wales, Fla., is one of the most athletic defensive linemen in this class and Dexter’s performance at the Under Armour All-America Game proved that even more.
If there’s an argument to make Dexter a five-star it’s that he’s a physical specimen who has a non-stop motor, tremendous athleticism for playing defensive tackle and for someone so big to be so productive and move so well, he’s a special and unique prospect.
But there still are some questions about his technique and how he moves off the ball and those are also considerations that need to be looked at heading into the final rankings release.
Dexter is currently ranked as the fourth-best defensive tackle behind Clemson signee Bryan Bresee, Kentucky signee Justin Rogers and Clemson signee Demonte Capehart, the top-ranked four-star player at the position.
Another aspect to consider when it comes to Dexter is balancing his very impressive week of practice with an average performance in the Under Armour game and how those two things should be balanced when it comes to rankings.
After an outstanding week of practice, Dexter was just OK in the game and didn’t deliver an unequivocal five-star performance.
There are no questions about his activity, his production or his athleticism. His technique will need some refinement once he gets to Gainesville.
FARRELL'S TAKE
So, after watching him closely for an entire week at Under Armour, we ask Rivals National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell if he believes Dexter is deserving of a five-star ranking or whether he’s still not sold as others at the all-star events make an argument about getting a five-star as well.
“I’ve seen his senior film and we’ve obviously seen Dexter in person numerous times and he has developed into a five-star talent at defensive tackle. Does this mean he will be a five-star when we release next week? Not necessarily.
"I am just one vote of many when it comes to naming five-stars and, while I do have final say, if the analyst group is overwhelmingly against a prospect being a five-star than that’s the way we will go.
"There are a few reasons we didn’t have Dexter as a five-star up until this point and I think he’s proven us wrong in those categories, but this was a heated debate and will continue to be one until we release next week.”
